Process for the production of spherical articles



April 2, 1929. J. E. CASTER 1,707,708

PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION.,0F SPHERICAL ARTICLES Fild Sept. 23', 1926 JOh/IZTCaSter Patented Apr. 2, 1929.

UNITED STATES 1,707,708 PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN E. CASTER, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE CINCINNATI GRINDERS,

INCORPORATED, O1 CINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO. A

PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF SPHERICAL ARTICLES.

Application filed September 23, 1926. Serial No. 137,206.

This invention relates to a novel and improvd process for the production of spherical articles such as balls for ball bearings and to the disclosed apparatus for carrying out of said process. I

One of the principal objects of the present invention is the provision of a novel process and apparatus for the production of such spherical articles which shall be capable of appreciable stock removal as disclosed from the slow lapping processes hitherto commonly employed in performing work of this nature.

A further object of the invention is to provide for a continuous feeding through and operation on the work pieces in a manner to insure gradual stock removal and permit of proper sizing of the pieces during the continuous progress thereof.

Another object of the invention is the elimination of fixed work supporting members and the utilization in their place of the work pieces themselves to produce proper re tardance of movement and resistance to the cutting thrust of the grinding wheel.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention should be readily apparent by reference tothe following specification considered in connection with the appended drawings illustrating one apparatus for performance thereof, and'it will be understood that any modifications in the specific structural details hereinafter disclosed may be made within the scope of the appended claims .without departing from or exceeding the spirit of the invention.

Figure 1 is an elevation of a grinder for carrying out the invention aforesaid.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view of the grinder as on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view illustrating the control of progress of the work pieces in the machine.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view illustrating a different position of the parts, and,

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view of the lower end of one of the guide tubes and control member associated therewith.

and in a direction to impart a rotating and twisting movement to the work pieces. The

invention further contemplates the suitable retardance of movement of the work pieces in the direction urged by the grinding wheel, so that propertime will be allowed for satisfactory grindin of the articles, not only at the points initially contacting with the grinding member, but also through the twisting action with all parts of the surface, so that a true spherical form may be produced on the work.

The mechanism illustrating the carrying out of the invention is ofthe general centerless type, including a bed or base A, having bearings for the grinding wheel B and the regulating wheel C, operatingv at the speeds and in the directions aforementioned. Means such as the screw D are employed to impart an in and out movement to the regulating wheel as an entirety, while the wheel itself is capable of angular adjustment about a horizontal pivot being locked in such angularly adjusted position as by bolts E. Disposed intermediate the bed A and slide F for the regulating wheel is a second slide movable with or with respect to slide F, this latter slide G serving as a support for the work controlling mechanism. This work controlling mechanism includes arotary shaft 10 provided with a plurality of notched disks or star wheels 11 above which rise work guiding tubes 12. These tubes have at their upper ends the joint mechanism member 13 which may be filled with work pieces 14 which will then automatically feed down throu h the tubes and into the throat between t 1e grinding and regulating wheels. Topermit of engagement of the work pieces by the wheels, the. tubes are slotted or cut away as at 15 and 16. The grinding wheel B is trued with a number of grooves 17 which is in tran verse section for the contra-generic curve to be produced on the finished work pieces.

To control the rotation of the star wheel 11, shaft 10 has a sprocket 18 connected by chain 19, preferably through suitable reduction gearing driven from the regulating wheel shaft with the result that shaft 10 rotates at an appreciably slower rate than the rate of rotation of the regulating wheel.

The progress of the work through the machine will be best understood by reference to Figures 3 and 4 from which it will be noted that in what may be termed the initial posiof the grinding wheel.

- to the prescribed size as the tion shown in Figure 3, a work piece is in the tube 12 and resting in one of the notches 21 of thestar wheel, while a work piece, about four above that resting on the star wheel will be disposed within the grinding throat for final sizing as determined by the width of the throat and the are of curve of the groove 17 Continued rotation of the regulating wheel causes the star wheel to turn in a counter-clockwise direction carrying a work piece 14 laterally through the discharge opening 22 of the tube 12 whence it passes out of the machine through chute 23. At the same time the ball immediately thereabove will slide down on the surface of the ball being ejected until it eventually comes to rest on one of the inclined portions 24 of the star wheel. Continued rotation of the wheel allows the column of work pieces to gradually move downward.

It will be understood that as the work pieces gradually move downward they will pass from the upper portion of the tube where they are entirely out of engagement with the grinding and regulating wheels to a portion of the tube where they enter into engagement with the grinding and regulating wheels at a point above the line joining the axis of the two wheels or in other words where the throat is wider. The slow downward movement provided will then allow the work pieces to be ground ofl" and shaped in this upper portion of the throat until eventually reduced pass throu h the narrowest portion of t e throat. 5 they pass downward through the lower portion of the tube, they serve as a support for the work pieces thereabove which are bein acted upon by the grinding wheel. It wil also be noted that the downward movement of the work piece is controlled by the fact that while there is no positive and definite work rest the piece being operatedupon .is supported by the column of balls intermediate the grinding position and the individual star wheel 11 for that particular tube then progresses downward in the grinding throat continuing as the work pieces move down from center point on the lowermost ball as shown in Figure 3 to a contact with a hi h point of the star wheel and thence to t e lowest part of the notch 21 in the star wheel. At this point the lowermost work piece is ejected by rotation of the star wheel and for a time the star wheel itself forms a progressively receding limit for the downward movement of the-column until it again starts to eject the ball when the ball forms this receding stop.

From the foregoing description the process of producing spherical articles by this method should be readily apparent and it will be seen that the balls are automatically fed between grinding and controlled members from a wider to a narrower part of grinding throat by a controlled progress allowing their gradual grinding off or reduction in diameter as well as their rounding up; that subsequent to the compression of the grinding action they serve as a receding retardant for the progress of other work pieces being acted upon until they are finally consecutively ejected from their individual tubes.

I claim -1. The process of grinding spherical articles consisting in feeding blanks in a continuous stream between a formed grinding member and a work controllin member transversely of the common axial plane of said members and from wider to narrower portions of the throat between said members, whereby a pro ressive gradual removal of stock is efiecte' by removing the necessary excess material from the surface of "the blank.

' 2. The process of producing spherical articles consisting in feeding blanks in a continuous stream between a. formed grinding member and a work controlling member and from wider to narrower portions of the throat between said members, whereby a gradual reduction in size is performed, and utilizing completed work pieces as a controlling retardant for the progress of the work piece to be operated upon.

3. The process of grindin spherical articles consisting in passing the same between a formed grinding wheel and a controlling member, forming a variable width work receiving throat and positively controlling the rate of progress of the work pieces through said throat.

4. A machine for producing spherical articles including a grindin wheel having a plurality of grooves forme therein, an opposed regulating wheel, guides extending intermediate the wheels in tangent relation to the operative face thereof, and means for cons-[rolling the passage of articles along the m es.

g 5. A machine for producing spherical articles including a grindin wheel having a plurality of grooves forme therein, an opposed regulating wheel, guides extending intermediate the wheels in tangent relation to the operative face thereof and means for controlling the passage of articles along the guides, sa1d means including an ejector device for successively checking the progress of the work pieces and laterally displacing them with respect to the guides.

6. A machine of the centerless t pe for production of spherical articles inclu ing opposed grinding and regulating wheels, the grinding wheel having work forming grooves in the operative face thereof, guides arranged tangent to said operative face of the grinding wheel and a shlftable stop for successlvely engaging work pieces passing between the guides subsequent 'to grinding thereof to control the rate and direction of movement of a series of pieces between the guides. I

' 7. A machine of the character described including opposed grinding and regulating wheels and a work guide tangentially extended through the throat between said wheels, means progressively limiting the movement of work pieces through the throat within-the-guides, and connections between said means and the regulating wheel for operating the work controlling means in timed relation to the rate of rotation of the regulating wheel.

8. A machine of the character described includin opposed grinding and regulating wheels, t 1e grinding wheel having a formed groove of contour to produce desired curvature-on the work piece, a guide tube extending through the throat bet-ween the grinding and regulating wheels in alignment with the groove of the grinding wheel, the tube having cut-away portions whereby the wheels may engage a work piece within the tube and a star wheel operative within the tube below the grinding throat for controlling the progress of work pieces through the tube, substantially as and for the purpose described. y

In testimony whereof-I afiix my signature.

' JOHN E. (EASTER. 

